On 5 February 2026, the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS), established 68 years ago, announced that it would initiate dissolution procedures. In its statement, the HKFS said that “as the environment has changed, member unions and those working alongside them have in recent years faced increasingly severe pressure,” and decided to “bring it to an end today.”
The Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights makes the following response to the disbandment of the HKFS:
“We are deeply saddened by the forced disbandment of the HKFS. Over the past 68 years, the HKFS has been a key organisation in Hong Kong’s student movement, witnessing and participating in many critical moments in the city’s history—from supporting democratic movements in mainland China since the 1980s, to promoting democratic development in Hong Kong, and more recently taking part in the anti–national education movement, the 2014 class boycott on political reform, and the Umbrella Movement. The HKFS has long united students, engaged with social issues, and advocated for reform.
However, since the Umbrella Movement, the HKFS has continued to face various forms of political pressure. In 2015, a wave of disaffiliations reduced its member institutions from eight to four. In recent years, it has also faced incidents such as its office being forcefully taken over, members and their families receiving harassment letters, and controversies over being ‘forced to disband’. Since late last year, multiple student organisations have also come under pressure: the Hong Kong Baptist University Students’ Union was “ordered to suspend operations” over a post about the fire at Wang Fuk Court, while six college student unions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong were “suspended” within just 28 days. These developments reflect the sustained and systematic pressure faced by student organisations, steadily shrinking their space to operate.”
“Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights clearly guarantees freedom of association, including the right of organisations to determine their own purposes, activities, and modes of operation without unnecessary or discriminatory restrictions. The use of legal threats, administrative interference, resource constraints, and harassment of members by authorities, university management, and other unidentified actors to force student organisations into dysfunction constitutes a serious violation of freedom of association.”
“The disbandment of the HKFS marks the further disintegration of Hong Kong’s student movement under political pressure, and is yet another example of the systematic suppression of civil society in Hong Kong. Sixty-eight years of history, and the dedication and ideals of countless students, have been forced to an end under authoritarian pressure. This is deeply regrettable.”
The Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights reiterates that good public governance is inseparable from a diverse and vibrant civil society. When civic space is weakened, it often leads to a decline in the quality of governance, ultimately affecting the broader social environment. The Centre again calls on the international community to pay close attention to the continuing pressure on civic space in Hong Kong, and urges the Hong Kong Government to cease its suppression of freedom of association, follow the recommendations of the Human Rights Committee, fulfil its obligations under the Covenant, and provide a safe operating environment for civil society organisations, including trade unions and student unions.